UPPER GWYNEDD — Any second-guessing of the importance of Thursday night’s game against Quakertown was quieted quickly by Chris Kersey, Nate Heller and the Nor-Gwyn legion baseball team. Sure, the Hawks have secured a spot in the regional round with their regular season title, but a chance to add a Bux-Mont postseason trophy was plenty of incentive.

In the postseason opener Kersey and the top-seeded Hawks jumped on the Blue Jays and never let up. The recent North Penn grad Kersey had three doubles and two RBIs in the 11-1 win over the eighth-seeded squad. A four-run frame allowed starting pitcher Nate Heller to put it on cruise control at Hostelley Field.

“We had two close games against Quakertown, so it was nice to get an early lead,” Kersey said. “It is nice to have Nate back. We are all coming together at the right time.”

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“Having that run support helps immensely,” Heller said. “I felt comfortable out there. Last time I pitched was maybe three weeks ago. I got some of the cobwebs off.”

Heller had two extra-base hits and two RBIs at the plate as well. Anthony Cameron connected for two doubles and three runs scored. Brad Bertucci and Sam Plaugher also put in some productive at-bats, driving in runs against Blue Jays Vinny LaCava. The lefty only lasted three innings, allowing six runs on six hits. This all came without regulars Kyle Diseroad, Jared Melone, and Matt Hoy out of the starting lineup.

“We are going to keep going out there playing the way we are playing,” Hawks coach Kevin Harris said. “We are going out hard and playing the game the right way. We know what these guys can do.”

Heller seemed to be in a hurry to get back in the dugout and let his Hawks hit. The big right hander scattered five hits and one run over six innings of work. In the complete-game effort Heller had three strikeouts. It was the effort the Hawks needed for the upcoming four game stretch of baseball. His performance allowed for coach Harris to rest the arms on his pitching staff.

“Nate went to Italy on a family vacation,” Harris said. “He could not wait to come back. We let him take batting practice and he was putting good wood on it. It is a little more difficult because you can only DH for the pitcher. You have to be creative with the lineups.”

If the regular season title does anything it allows the Hawks to play loose. While a Bux-Mont postseason championship is the goal, two losses in the double-elimination tournament will not end their season. They will be one of teams headed to Muhlenberg next week. If anything, they need to continue to play good baseball so they can continue a strong summer and add a few more memorable moments.

“It’s pressure off our backs, but we are still trying to win this thing,” Kersey said. “We are going to keep doing all the little things and play the game the right way. That way we play well in this tournament and it carries over into the next tournament as well.”